1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to data processing systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to processing wiring diagrams in a data processing system.
2. Background
Electrical systems commonly comprise two or more electrical components connected by one or more wires. The wires allow electrical signals to travel between the components along the path of the wires. Wires are often combined to connect multiple components in a wiring system. In some examples, multiple wires are used to connect two components. The multiple wires allow multiple electrical signals to be transmitted and received by the two components at substantially the same time.
A number of wiring diagrams may be used to document a wiring system. The wiring diagrams may contain specifications of the location of components or wires, type of components or wires, size of components or wires, number of components or wires or another suitable specification. The wiring diagrams may be used in designing the wiring system, constructing the wiring system, or remedying inconsistencies in the wiring system. For example, a technician may use a wiring diagram to locate an inconsistency in the wiring system and determine a replacement part that upholds the original design of the wiring system.
Wiring diagrams are commonly stored digitally. Wiring diagrams stored digitally may be stored in a particular format. The format is a particular specification for a wiring diagram relied upon by software that presents or changes the wiring diagram. For example, a wiring diagram may be stored in a computer graphics metafile (CGM) format. A wiring diagram may also be stored as vector art, a bitmap, or a computer aided design model. In a computer graphics metafile format, the wiring diagram may comprise images and/or text. Software that is capable of interpreting the computer graphics metafile format may read and write the images and/or text stored in the wiring diagram to present the wiring diagram.
Wiring diagrams stored in one format may be unreadable by software that reads and writes wiring diagrams stored in a second format. Wiring diagrams stored in the first format may be redrawn by an artist in the second format. The artist views the wiring diagram stored in the first format. The artist then recreates the components and wires from the wiring diagram in the first format in a wiring diagram in the second format. Recreating the components and wires in the second format is costly and time-consuming for a human.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.